1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cycle lock that is used to lock a bicycle or motorcycle to a vertical or horizontal bar.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many different devices are known for locking a wheel of a motorcycle or bicycle in a stationary position and/or locking the motorcycle or bicycle to a bar or pole. The prior art devices, however, require moving the lock from a storage location to an operative location. Many bicycles and motorcycles do not have storage areas, and the lock, or parts of the lock, can be misplaced or lost when removed from the cycle. In addition, many of these devices use a cable which is easily severed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,901, issued Apr. 26, 1955 to Jenkins, discloses a lock for the front fork or rear of a bicycle that swivels from an operative to inoperative position. The Jenkins device is a closed loop however, and does not allow room for locking the bicycle to a post. U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,374, issued Dec. 3, 1979 to Goral, discloses a lock for a bicycle that extends around a pole, around both front forks, and through the spokes; however, no method for securing the lock in an inoperative position is disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,998, issued Jan. 1, 1980 to Hellman, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,833, issued Jul. 17, 1984 to Waterkamp et al., each discloses a lock for bicycles wherein a bar is rotatable from a locking to a non-locking position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,965, issued Feb. 25, 1986 to LeRoux, and Norwegian Patent Document No. 73,052, published Feb. 2, 1948, disclose locking mechanisms for bicycles having a locking bar with a cane-shaped hook end. There is no provision in either disclosure for the cane to extend through the wheel spokes and around a pole.
Other patents relating to locking cycles via a wheel and fork include: U.S. Pat. No. D-259,764, issued Jul. 7, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,951, issued Apr. 24, 1990 to Kavizky; U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,049, issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Shieh; U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,451, issued Nov. 30, 1993 to Phifer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,758, issued Nov. 22, 1994 to Shieh; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,436, issued Feb. 14, 1995 to Shieh; Austrian Pat. Document No. 172,115, published Aug. 11, 1952; and World Intellectual Property Organization Patent Document No. WO87/01669, published Mar. 26, 1987.
However, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.